Toddlers, tantrums and time to make treasures…

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Once a week wonderful

There is no doubt that I am quite a busy person. I have a step daughter and two children of my own, one of who is two and so with me on my days off, I work 3 days a week with an hour of commuting each way, I am trying to start my own small business which is part reseller and part designing and making toys and just before Christmas my husband and I decided that we were going to blitz the house and redecorate/replace pretty much all of it. So I don’t have much time for either toefluff or tantrums. And it is starting to make me feel like a bit of a second rate mother.

I do spend time with Small but I realise it is not as much as she would like and it is not unheard of for me to be a little grumpy when the boy returns from school and the pair end up fighting pretty much constantly. The temptation to switch on the TV is massive but I know I should do more than just that. However, from things the kids say and the things they ask to do when they have free choice, I think a bit of targeted attention might be enough to keep everyone on track and make me feel like I am doing a better job as a mum.

So I have come up with a PLAN; Once A Week Wonderful. The plan is that each week we will have one super cool and generally amazing thing that we will do. Preferably neither expensive or very tricky this will none the less something they will remember for years to come. Or at least for a few days. I will prepare all the required items the day before so the first part won’t be me running round like the proverbial chicken looking for paperclips or sellotape or whatever is needed. I will be ready to go and they will have my full attention. Fantastic. In between I will still do my utmost to give them the attention they need but I will feel less guilty when I don’t. They will get to do lots of cool stuff. Everyone’s a winner!

So let me know… are you guilty of not giving your children much undivided attention? Please say I am not the only one? I will be picking my activities in advance and keeping a log of the ones that go well and badly. You could even join me and we could feel less guilty together.